Collapsible boat



33. A. HORAK- 1,932,245

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed June 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l TTORNEY.

Oct. 249 1933. A HQRAK 1,932,245

coLLAPsIBLE BOAT Filed June 2. 1932 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Geti 24, 1933 UNITED STATES ooLLAPs'IBLE BOAT l Anton Horak, Chicago, Ill.

ApplicationvJune 2, 1932. Serial No. 614,942

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a collapsible boat of sturdy construction, a preferred form of which is hereinafter described, and to novel means of attaching a flexible waterproof covering theres about.

An object of my invention is the provision of a collapsible boat comprising a plurality of panels and novel means on said panels whereby the saine may be quickly and economically assembled and connected together to form a sturdy boat structure and whereina waterproof covering may be quickly and removably. attached about the ou"- side of the boatV structure.

A further object of my invention is the provision of acollapsible boatwhich comprises a plurality of panels which have means thereon whereby the samel may be assembled and connected to# gether `quickly to form a boat and which is rendered waterproof by attachment of a flexible waterproof material aboutthe boat structure.

A furtherobject of my invention is the provision of a collapsible boat comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular panels adapted to be removably connected. together in the shape of a boat in combination withconveniently removable braces which absorb the transverse stresses, and wherein the side panels of the boat are so conneeted together and to the bottom panels of the boat that they withstand and absorb the longitudinal stresses. n

y A further I object oi my invention is the provision of a collapsible boat which comprises a plurality oi connectible sections and which is adapted to be .rendered l waterproof by yremovably mounting thereabout a waterproof covering which is adapted to be partially held in place by. the means which attach certain of said sections together. Y l. y

On the drawings:

40 Fig. 1 is a top plan view of lmy invention showing the boat in assembled operative condition.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View longitudinally oi the boat taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view oi my boat in disassembled position adapted for convenient car- `riage and transportation. f

Fig. 4 is a cross sectionalview taken across the bow of the boat shown in Fig. 1.A

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken across the 5 stern of the `boat at a point in front of the diago- -nal braces. Y

, Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the bow showing in dotted lines the shape of my canvas covering and the manner in which the same is folded.

Vhinge along thebottom of the boat as indicated in Figs.

*are-removably' connected to adjacent panels, the

Fig. 7 is a reduced perspective view showing the shape of my preferred form of boat and the relative position oi the seats.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1i) indicates a plurality 60 of side panels, preferably four .in number, which 'are made of a good quality lumber or plywoodand which are substantially of equal area and rectangular in shape as indicated. The reference numeral 11 indicatesl a similar rectangular panel 65 which is adapted to constitute the stern of my portable boat. Eachof the side panels and the vstern panei'll have relatively wide 'hinge straps l2'secured by rivets or the like on and along the entire ends or" each panel, said hinge straps terminating in knuckles which are so formed` that when the panels are assembled in a manner shown in Fig. 2 they intert so that the longitudinal apertures ofthe intertting knuckles register for the convenient reception of a remove able pintle 13 which is adaptedr to be inserted from the top. One of a pluralityoi pintles la is in* serte'd in each of the intertting adjacent straps and knuckles as indicated, and in the same man-l ;ner, the stern panel 11 has like straps and knucklesv so preferably of 'wood and ci substantially the same area as theside panels aforesaid, each carry on their lopposite ends a pair or" hinge straps 16 each 90 terminating in a knuckle, each of which knuckles are adapted to interengage with the knuckles of straps 17 which are securely mounted on the inner surface oi the side panels l0 a short distance from the lower edge thereof and in the same spaced apart position as the hinge straps 16 on the bottom panels 15. In. assembling the boat structure the bottom panels are mounted so that the apertures oi the respective knuckles 16 and 17 register and each thereof receive one 100 of a plurality of short pins 17 shown in Fig. 5

in side elevation. vvThe bottom panels 15 and the removable means therefor just described are ypreferably mounted in spaced apart relation 10V d l and 2, certain of said panels l5 being mounted so that vthe ends thereof pass across the juncture of adjacent side panels and the respective interitting straps and knuckles of such bottom panels 'lil lA plurality of hook 4panels i8 forms a sturdy brace between the bottom and side panels, as clearly indicated in Figs.

5 and 2. In my preferred form I employ only two of these braces which are preferably mounted to 'straddle the juncture of radjacent panels and thereby imparting rigidity to subsantially the whole side of the boat.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, to impart rigidity to the foremost panels comprising the boat, I employ ablock 22 which hason oneface thereof perpendicularly extending metal knuckles shown in Fig. 4 which are adapted to be inserted in recesses formed in the knuckles of the hinge straps 12, preferably at the `upper end thereof, and so that the aperture of said knuckles will register with the apertures of the interiitting knuckles of the hinge straps 12 and will .likewise receive the pintle 14, thereby holding the block 22 firmly against the inner surfaces of the adjoining panels 10. VA plurality of panels '23, preferably of wood and of a length slightly longer than the normal width of the boat, are adapted to be inserted transversely wil-hin the boat between the opposite side panels 10, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 7, and each of which have a pair of Ydownwardly extending brackets 24 secured on each, end thereof, and are adapted to be removably mounted in suitable eyelets (not shown) secured on the inner surface of the side panels 10 and are adapted to form seats at a height substantially midway between the bottom and upper edge of lthe side panels of the boat. The length of the seat panels 23 being longer than the normal distance between the opposing side panels 10, I spreadv the opposite central and foremost side panels 10 apart to insert said seat panels, thereby imparting an outwardly flaring angle to the side of the boat which is limited due to the action of the block 22.

After the boat structure is assembled as indicated in the foregoing, I mount a nat canvas or other waterproof fabric covering 25 about Vsaid boat by first placing the boat in the center thereof and bringing the edges of said canvas upwardly. members 26 are secured along the edges of the waterproof covering 25 and are brought upwardly and certain of said members 26 hooked over the upper edge of the side panels 10. Certain of said hook members 26 have apertures therein and are positioned at such points so that they may be brought up to engageV the upper ends of adjoining hinge straps l2, and the pintles 14 respectively are inserted through said apertures and downwardly through the interntting knuckles as indicated in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. The waterproof covering 25 is flat and the shape of the bow thereof is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and the manner in which it is folded is indicated so that triangular portions thereof are folded within the outermost wall so that the same will be substantially flush and present no unnecessary external obstruction. Likewise, in folding the rear corner of the coverthe sides, stern and bottom ing to fasten it at the rear corner, said covering is folded in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 6 so that the outermostcovering wall is held substantially adjacent the side panels of the boat.

As indicated in Fig. 1, a pair of oar locks 28 are preferably securely mounted on opposite side panels 10 for the convenient reception of oar forks of well known construction.

In the foregoing I have described the manner of assembly of my boat from the individual parts and the manner of disassembly will be yreadily apparent- When the various panels are quickly disconnected by removal of the respective pintles, pins, etc., the same may be packed adjacent each other as indicated in Fig. 3, the brace panels 18 being adapted to be connected respectively to the ends of the outermost panels in the pack by insertion of the pintles in interengaging knuckles. A pair of straps 27 or thevlike may be passed around the pack to provide more convenient vcarriage or transportation, and it will be apparent that likewise the canvas covering 25 may be folded and included in the compact package illustrated in Fig. 3. f Y Y I am aware that many changesmay be made and numerous details of the invention and construction thereof may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore donot desire to limit the patent granted thereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A portable boat comprising a plurality of` substantially rectangular panels adaptedto form 11o the sides, stern and bottom of the boat; hinge straps on said side panels terminating in intertting knuckles mounted along the ends and lower edge of said side panels and on the ends of the stern and bottom panels, said panels being adapted to be assembled by interengagement of the knuckles; pintles removably mounted in adjacent intertting knuckles of the side, stern and bottom panels respectively; a plurality of diagonal braces comprising relatively short panels terminating in straps and knuckles removably connecting the bottom and side panelsrespectively; a plurality of reinforcing blocks having intermediate perpendicularly extending knuckles Y removably engaging apintle which connects adjacent panels, said block normally lying `adjacent the inner surface of adjacent panels; a plurality of panels adapted to form seats and removably connecting opposite side panels, and a flexible waterproof fabric covering adapted to be secured about the outside of said boat and means on the edges of said covering whereby the saine may be removably attached to said pintles and to the upper edge of the side panels.v

2. A portable boat comprising ya plurality of substantially rectangular panels adapted to form of the boat, the side panels terminating in interntting hinge knuckles along the ends and lower edge of said side and stern panels andon the ends of the bottom pan- V im els,said panels being adapted to be assembled by interengagement of the knuckles; pintles removably mounted in adjacent intertting knuckles of the side, stern and bottom panels respectively; a plurality of diagonal braces comprising relatively short panels terminating in straps and knuckles removably connecting lthe bottom and side panelsrespectively; a plurality of reinforcing blocksk having intermediate perpendicularly extending knuckles removably engaging a pintle 15o which connects adjacent panels, said block normally lying adjacent the vinner surface of adja' cent panels; a pluralityV of panels adapted to form seats and removably connecting opposite side panels, and a flexible Waterproof fabric covering adapted to be secured about the outside of said boat.

3. In a collapsible boat, a plurality of side panels; a plurality'of straps and knuckles on the panel edges, the hinge straps and knuckles of adjacent panels being adapted to interengage; a plurality of bottomv panels forming the boat bottom; intertting hinge knuckles on said bottom panels and on said side panels at the points of juncture thereof; a, removable pintle in each pair of interengaging hinge knuckles,` a plurality of panels removably connecting the side and bottom panels respectively to form diagonal braces; and a Waterproof covering removably secured about the structure formed by said assembled panels, and oar locks secured on opposite side panels, said panels When, disassembled being adapted to be positioned adjacent each other'in sides of said boat; reinforcing blocks removably mounted across the juncture of adjacent panels; a plurality orn panels removably connecting the sides of said skeleton at points intermediate the bottom and upper edges, said panels being adapted to form seats, and a flexible Waterproof covering removably secured about said boat, said panels, when disassembled, being adapted to` be superposed to form a rectangular package wherein the said brace panels connect the two outermost panels to form a retaining package.

ANTON HORAK.

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